


A Whole Gondola of Trouble

by Icarus_Solaire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Bad impulse control, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, Promptis - Freeform, These boys are loveable idiots, converted rp, no beta we die like men, so many feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-13 18:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11765604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icarus_Solaire/pseuds/Icarus_Solaire
Summary: Their journey was coming to a close, or so Noctis thought. Tomorrow he would reunite with Luna and everyone already had their opinions of what he should do next. He was sure, however; that no one intended for him and his best friend to end up in this position. No one could guess they would be here, cast away after too much to drink and a case of minor theft later. Ignis and Gladio were going to kill them in the morning, if the Hydraen didn't get to it first.A fic in which Noctis has no impulse control and Altissia's security is pretty lax.





	1. We Should've Thought This Through

**Author's Note:**

> This was an rp that myself and a buddy did and I just took it and tried my best to translate it into a readable fic form. It was my first time rping these two and a bit of a study on how I wanted to write Noctis. I'm definitely looking for a beta right now so I hope there aren't too many errors and it's not too hard to read! I still hope you enjoy and I promise part two will come shortly! :'D

Noctis felt restless, an anxiousness rolling in his belly that he tried not to pay any mind to as they stepped through the gates at the docks. Altissia had been beautiful, breathtaking even. Admittedly, he’d only ever seen it in books. He had to remember to ask Prompto for some of his pictures.   
Or, at least he wanted to until Prompto and Ignis started talking about Aranea. All he could do was twist the corners of his lips in disapproval as the gunner had mused about the lancer’s thoughts on the events at the citadel.   
“Ask her yourself.” his response was clipped and he continued to briskly walk forward, leading his friends around the floating city.  
Noctis tried not to dwell on why it bothered him, why it made electricity crackle at his fingertips. He pushed it aside, walking through the stone covered streets. It was just annoying him because Prompto had become increasingly…well thirsty for lack of a better word. Yeah, that was it. Noctis couldn't remember him ever being so girl hungry in high school. 

Okay, so much for pushing it aside….

They gathered information after that, trying to find out as much as the could about Luna, the day following, he’d even met with Camelia. That had been interesting. Quite interesting. It was his first attempt to be an actual king. Noct wasn't sure if he should feel that pride that rose up in his chest when he actually managed to succeed. Winning over the hardened woman was not something he expected for his first negotiation. He was pissed, however; when she wouldn’t actually let him see the oracle and he wasn’t too quiet about that with his friends. 

The raven haired young Lucian had kept his composure until he was sure no one could hear him. "This is bullshit" his voice was low, clipped as he excited the building, meeting back up with his friends that waited just outside. 

They suggested, or rather Gladio had suggested, they spend some time exploring the city. It would be good to take in the sights before god knows what happened at the summoning of the hydraen, Leviathan. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

They road around on the gondolas, stopped in at a few late night café's that Ignis had been interested in trying. None of which seemed to compare to Ebony. Prompto had insisted they even stop in at the Arcade.

The most awkward moment of the night most definitely had to of been stopping by Luna’s memorial. Her wedding gown was hung in a window of a shop, images of her placed around it almost like a shrine to the once pronounced dead oracle. It was strange thinking about it, now. Noctis hadn't really processed the fact that he was going to marry his childhood friend, at least at one time he had been going to. It all seemed like such a long time ago that he'd set off from home with that as his intention. 

He was happy his childhood friend was still alive, there was no doubt in that...what shook him was the conversation that followed. Questions were presented about his relationship and proceeding marriage with Luna. Noctis did suppose that, with him finally meeting with Luna again tomorrow, that many would be asking that question. Did he still want or need to marry Luna? 

“That settles it, you’ve gotta make it happen. Become a symbol of the peace." The larger of the four men nodded." After we tie up loose ends, let’s think about the ceremony.” Gladio spoke, breaking him from his thoughts.

“A fine idea.” Ignis offered.

Not wanting to disappoint his curious friends but feeling the anxiousness clawing up from his chest and at his throat he said only the first thing that came to mind. “Yeah….I’ll think about it.” Noctis spared no time in diverting the conversation even as he tried to plaster on a smile.

Honestly, Noct was just glad that two of his friends, Gladio and Ignis, were going to the hotel right after. They were leaving him with his best friend, after all. His friend whom he could just be Noct, the person and not Noctis Lucis Caelum, future king, with. He clapped a hand on Prompto’s shoulder and smiled. 

It had been a long day, somewhat stressful at that. Even Prompto couldn’t deny that he was overjoyed and excited about the prospects of a new city and new things to shoot through the view of his lens. But he was also quite unsettled about where they were and what all of this meant. 

He hid it well while cracking jokes and taking pictures of just about everything they saw; including his best friend against the backdrop of the unfamiliar scenery. 

It hurt more than anything knowing that they were here to meet Lady Lunafreya and that this would most likely be the end of their journey together. This was the goal after all, wasn’t it? Still, he wouldn’t be able to be with his friends every day like this after it was all over. But what hurt the most was that his best friend was going to get married. Married to the young, beautiful Oracle. He'd be the envy of all men, right?

The blonde would be the first to admit that he had feelings for the other boy that he shouldn’t have, at least to himself, but how couldn’t he? Noctis had practically saved him from himself, from loneliness, more than once. It was cheesy as hell to say; but he was like that light in the dark that he could have never found on his own. And now that light was going to be taken away from him forever. Sure they would still be best friends; but it wouldn’t be the same, not to him. And it was something that he could never admit to the other guys, especially Noctis. 

It hurt to keep it to himself, but it was just the way that things had to be. He sighed out, smiled, and pretended that he was just as happy for his friend as the other two seemed to be. 

“So...what do you say we take Old Weskham up on that offer for a few drinks, huh?” The prince's voice cut through the silence that had grown between them. Now if only Noctis had remembered what a catastrophic lightweight he was.

When Noctis slapped his hand on his shoulder it awoke him from his thought filled daze and he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. 

“Why the hell not?!” Prompto answered, the biggest smile that he could muster stretching across his freckled face. How could he turn down this wonderful boy? Especially if this would be his last night REALLY alone with him? Maybe, if he had a few drinks and laughed with his friend, he would forget about his worries, even if just for one night. 

\-------

A few drinks to wash away the woes and worries of the morrow turned into way too much hard liquor and a few stolen bottles of wine. Well, if you could consider dropping way more gil than should have been allowed on an old friend of your father’s ‘stealing’.  Noctis was tipsy, maybe a little bit too tipsy but just enough that he wasn’t thinking about the hydraen or getting married. He wasn’t thinking about how he was going to finally fulfill what he’d set out to do and that he might be saying goodbye to his friends, or at least this leg of their adventure.

Noctis juggled the bottles, a sloppy smile on his face and one of his light hearted giggles passing his lips as he watched Prompto follow close beside him.

It had been a long time since Prompto had drank. He had really only ever drank with the other boy when they had snuck some alcohol into his apartment without Ignis noticing. And even then they hadn’t drank a lot. Ignis had also, most certainly, found out. This time though, they might have overdone it a bit, and especially with the few bottles of wine they were taking with them!

Still, Prompto just laughed heartily as he followed behind the other boy, forgetting about his intense feelings for a moment, if that were even possible. His rose tinted vision saw the other boy for what he was, and everything he loved about him. The ache and loneliness wasn’t there at the moment. 

“You know what would be great?” Noct asked, shoving a few bottles in the blonde’s more than capable hands. No one, let alone Iggy (if he were even there), would have wanted to hear the words that followed.

The blonde smiled to himself when he saw the other boy's lips pull into a lazy grin and hand some of the bottles over to him. He had hoped that he was the only one that got to see those smiles and hear that laughter. It wasn't just any laughter, it was the laughter of the Noctis only he knew.

The would-be king was very straightforward and more reserved when they were around the other boys, but he always got to see this other side of Noct when they were alone. He wanted to think that it was all for him. Only for him.

“Tell me!” He responded almost immediately. He was up for literally anything in this moment, his head swimming drunkenly. 

“What do you say we get us a gondola?” Noct grinned, a bit shaky on his feet and fully aware that the gondolas had stopped hours ago. Regardless of the facts, it didn’t stop him from motioning at a lonesome and abandoned gondola.

Noct wasn’t exactly a thrill seeker, though you’d be hard-pressed to believe that if you heard his keening laughter when nearly wrecking the Regalia after one of Cindy's more recent upgrade. A sweet off-road upgrade that the young prince very well might have nearly wrecked a dozen times. If he were thinking about that right then he’d have to smile at the memory of how many times Prompto fell into him, slapping his arm after for the prince just to laugh…. 

“What do you say, Prom?”

Prompto laughed so damn hard he thought he was going to drop the most expensive bottle of wine that he was holding. He fumbled a bit and managed to hold onto it, but literal tears were coming from his eyes from laughing so hard. Had he really just fucking suggested they steal a gondola?

“Astrals be damned, Let’s do it, Noct. I’m all in!”  He responded with vigor. I mean, what could go wrong? It was just an empty gondola right? They could navigate the thing themselves and sip on a few bottles of expensive wine. It couldn’t be THAT hard. They'd totally get it back before anyone noticed.

The confirmation filled the prince with a joy he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. They joked and teased and had a good time on the road, sure but it was all laced with that hidden sadness and longing of home. The humor and fun had been a distraction but this, because the alcohol was distraction enough, was just like they were back in high school. 

They were just a couple of friends again making poor choices and laughing it off together. Noctis brushed off his coat as if he were preparing for the best fight of his life, though his face was full of mischief, and walked toward the gondola.

He made a half assed attempt to look around and make sure no one could see. The passage way was dark and not a soul was in sight. It was perfect; almost like the gods themselves had scripted it. With that he put one foot into the boat, shaky at first from intoxication and the unsteadiness of the water beneath the thin craft. 

“I think titan’s tryin’ to tell me something.” he almost snorted, wobbling and trying to regain his balance and not fall off. When he did manage to plant both feet into the craft, he placed a hand on each hip, smug like his act of ‘grace’ and theft were the coolest shit he’d ever done. It most definitely was NOT.

The blonde just watched as the prince tried to wobble his way into the gondola as if it were the hardest thing he had ever done. And when he put his hands on his hips like that; like he had accomplished climbing the tallest of mountains; Prom couldn’t help but snicker. Reaching out to gently set the bottles he was holding into the boat, so that he wouldn’t drop them like an idiot, as he tried to climb in after the other. 

“C’mon Prom. Let’s get this show on the road…’er canals?” the raven haired young man gave a cheesy smile and reached out for the alcohol, babying it as if it were a lifeline and, in some ways, it was. The more he drank tonight, the less tomorrow would plague his thoughts. 

The more he drank then the more he could smile for his best friend and just live in this stupid moment. “Lemme give you a hand…” watching his best friend struggle just as much as him to climb into the swaying gondola, he offered an outstretched hand like some damn prince on a white horse reaching out for a princess….and it wasn’t at all lost on him. “M’lady” he chuckled with a playful wink.

When Prompto looked up again and saw that shit eating grin on his friend’s face and how he outstretched his arm and addressed him like that, a thin blush spread across his freckled cheeks. He had just hoped that his cheeks were already slightly red from the alcohol to disguise just how flustered the action made him. Such a simple thing like that made his heart beat fast in his chest, but he rolled his eyes at the other boy to feign innocence. 

Prompto took his hand anyway though, not trying to make a big deal out of it. He also wasn’t too sure if he could gracefully step into the boat himself in the first place. Be his luck he'd try and just topple his dumbass right on off the side.

“Oh, why thank you kind prince.” He cackled before trying to step into the boat, giving a dramatic, drunken half bow. Once his other foot was securely inside, he wobbled for a moment, trying to maintain balance all while still holding onto his best friend's hand as if It were a lifeline. 

The movement of the boat as Prompto stepped in didn’t do much for the raven haired young man's already suspect balance. He all but unceremoniously fell on his ass in the boat against plush pillows, hand still clutching the blonde’s. Even still, Noctis tried to make it look as regal and as intentional as possible. Drunk or not, he definitely had a reputation to keep while sitting on a stolen gondola in the dead of night.

 

“This is either the best or worst idea we’ve ever had, Noct! And I’m not sure which it is yet!” Prompto laughed again, realizing he had been holding the other’s hand for much longer than he should have. Instinctively, he pulled it away and smiled, almost falling directly onto his bottom into the boat, practically mimicking his prince. Hell if he was going to try and gracefully sit down. They were so beyond being graceful at the moment 

He grabbed one of the bottles beside him that he had set down and smiled at the label. The alcohol induced haze shortening his already compromised attention span.

“This looks expensive.” He remarked, more to himself than to Noctis as he tried to open the bottle. 

Noct grinned. “Best idea we’ve ever had. 30 years from now we’ll be sitting in the throne room laughing our asses off and you’ll be able to tell everyone that, in one night, you broke Astrals knows how man international laws and stole a gondola in Altissia.” the young prince struggled to wrap his tongue around the larger words, fumbling with them yet hardly noticing his own strained efforts.

He was too content, warm and happy on this blasted little gondola he didn’t even pay attention to the fact he hadn’t released the calloused yet delicate hand that he'd gripped in his own, at least not until it had been taken away. Dilated eyes sluggishly moved to stare at the emptiness that was left there, his hand flexing around the memory of the warmth. He didn’t read into it, didn’t think too hard about it but he did muse at how WRONG it felt that Prompto’s hand was gone. 

Wasn’t that funny? Noctis pondered and couldn’t help but giggle a bit to himself before grabbing up one of the bottles he'd been babying before, just as his best friend had. He snapped two fingers together mutedly, summoning a tiny, inconspicuous item from the armiger.

It didn’t take long for him to work the corkscrew on his bottle and send the tool shattering back into blue crystal to its place in the armiger. 

“Always be prepared, as Specs says” Noct slurred, winking over at Prompto like he’d suddenly took lessons from Gladio in interpersonal skills.

“Dude. Anything Ignis has to say is the last thing I want to hear right now.” Came the almost annoyed voice of the blonde gunner whilst still trying to get his own bottle open. He sorta wished he had thought of putting something other than guns and mechanical things into the armiger. He definitely needed to be more creative. After a minute or two, he held out the bottle to the other boy, defeated. 

Truth be told, if Ignis were there? Yeah he might have had a few things to say about Noctis using the armiger to hold such frivolous things but, damn it, he was the future king of Lucis and he would keep a sandwich in there if he wanted! At least that was what heavily intoxicated Noctis was thinking right then, taking the bottle from his friend.

He flashily summoned the corkscrew once more, making quick work of the bottle with pride.

That pride faded quickly and the prince frowned a bit, looking down at the two bottles he now held. A sandwich sounded delicious right then. “I’m hungry….” he mused. “Maybe I should catch a fish or two, whatcha think?” If he were less intoxicated he would have realized that fishing right then? Terrible idea.

His best friend practically had to stop him from standing and summoning that accursed fishing rod. A sigh of relief filling the space between them when Noctis flopped back down against the pillows. 

Prompto had to put his hand in front of his mouth, though, as he tried not to laugh really hard at all of the random things that were coming out of his best friend’s mouth. A brief thought about how maybe they'd had a little too much to drink crossed his mind. He quickly waved it away, his mind darting back to thoughts of his friend's fishing obsession.

“Are you serious right now?” The gunner asked, leaning over to push the boat away from the dock, only just now realizing they hadn't really been going anywhere. For what it was worth, Noctis hadn't noticed either.

“You have all night to spend with me, and you wanna fish?” He asked playfully, quirking a shoulder in disbelief, face deadpan. Part of it was a joke, and part of it was serious. Prompto would probably feel a little sad if Noct had really wanted to go on this grand gondola stealing escapade just to ignore him and fish. 

The look the dark haired boy gave the other was somewhere between a pout and offended that Prompto had dared to question his integrity and devotion to their little adventure, or something. 

“You dare question my motives? The motives of your king?” he tutted and offered the bottle back to Prompto, leaning forward with his other hand rested on his knee.

“I’m just tryin’ to think of our health here." Noct slurred. "Fish is food. Wine, grilled fish and a boat ride by twilight with the prince of Lucis?" He perked, holding up his bottle. "King of Lucis. What more could someone ask for?”

His hand cut through the air and he shrugged. “Didn’t you say Altissia was romantic?” Noctis teased the other, realizing absentmindedly that they’d actually started to float out into the water. It had taken his mind a good while to catch up with that, but he was marking this down as a 'Mission Complete'. Ish.

The blonde snatched the bottle from the other’s hands, trying not to get distracted by his dashing looks and the way those deep blue eyes again still seemed to shine in the dark. It was so easy to fall into the look he was giving him as he was leaning in and staring at him like that. It would have been easy to close the distance….but Prompto didn't allow that train of thought to continue.

He wanted to make a comment about how he was pretty sure Noct wouldn’t be able to grill a fish in a wooden boat, but he let it go once the prince was off and talking about something else; he sure as hell didn’t want him to be thinking about fishing again. Not right now. Not when it was just the two of them floating down the stream in this beautiful city at night. He was right, though, it was romantic. It was more than he could have ever asked for even if it didn’t mean the same to the person he shared it with. It was enough for him to be sitting across from him, tipsy and laughing about the dumbest things. 

“Objective complete. How much experience is that, y’think?” Noctis' words cut through the other's thoughts. His words were thick against his tongue, and hand running through his hair; the fishing all but forgotten in favor of teasing Prompto. It almost sounded flat and forced coming from the other's lips. Those words were far suited for the blonde.

Noct glanced down in the boat, his mind swimming with the buzz of expensive wine, catching sight of a couple pieces of gil. “Oh hey. We even got gil this time…” Was kind of sad to think that it might be the last time they'd make stupid comments like that. Prom would definitely stiffen up the minute Lunafreya was traveling with them.

The blonde watched him as he ran his hand through his hair like that and he had to bite down on his own bottom lip for a moment. Did Noctis even know how attractive he was? He was sure he did, and the royal idiot that was his friend, didn’t need to hear it from someone who was supposed to be his best friend. Someone who was supposed to be cheering on his engagement and his future. Someone who had been pining over him this entire journey they had together. 

"Hey, that's my line!" Prom reached out, gently shoving at his friend's shoulder before pulling back to his side of the gondola. He looked away quickly, however; before his thoughts got the best of him and glanced out at the canal. Maybe if he impressed him with his gondola steering skills,  he wouldn't think anything of it. 

Prompto went to reach for the oars and… they weren’t there. If he were sober, horror might have filled his eyes. Maybe even panic. They had floated kind of a long ways from the dock by now, and they didn’t even have any oars. 

He, strangely calm as he clasped his hands together in front of him, supposed they were put up for safe keeping or something and whomever was navigating the boat would grab them before hand. They definitely hadn’t thought about that before drunkenly climbing in. 

“Well. I hope you don’t mind my company, because it’s gonna be a long night, buddy!” He said laughing at his own stupidity for a moment. There wasn’t a damn thing he couldn’t mess up, it seemed. This buzz was quickly turning sour.

“We may or may not have left the oars at the dock.” He laughed again, hoping that his friend wouldn’t immediately get mad at him. He was the one who had pushed them away from the dock after all. 

Noctis just stared for a second, eyes blank and distant like he were trying to register just what was missing even with the words he'd just heard. It was a struggle to process, the gears in his brain running slow and maybe a little stuttery. 

When he realized he...well those deep blue eyes got wide with shock but instead of panicking about how stranded they were going to be he just laughed. He laughed like a damn school boy at that before it turned hearty and full. You would think that Prompto had just told him the funniest joke on the entirety of Eos with how he laughed, gripping at his sides as he fell into stitches. It could have been the alcohol or it could have very well been the shock mixed with his nerves over tomorrow. 

When the humor of being a soon to be King stranded on the water, drunk off his ass, with his best friend and Astrals knows how many wine bottles (he couldn’t even count anymore) finally died down he wiped at his eyes. 

“Astrals can you imagine the look on Camelia’s face in the morning? Supposed to be summoning the hydraen and escorting people out of the city but we’re stranded on a stolen gondola.” He crossed his arms and mimicked her much like how he would his father back in Insomnia in his younger years. The thought caused a pang in his chest but he pushed it down, his buzz too strong to let him linger. The frown he gave, arms crossed tightly over his chest, was comically over exaggerated and only made worse by the way his eyes were unfocused.

Shrugging, he settled back against some of the cushions that still sat strewn about the small watercraft. “Guess if we ever wanted to get away, stranding ourselves out here was the best way to do it. More time to drink, less chance of Specs catching us.”

When he unfolded his arms, Noctis' face fell for a brief moment. He even forgot that he was SUPPOSED to be pretending to be happy about their journey coming to a close, about finally marrying Luna, since that seemed to be what everyone wanted. “Maybe we can paddle all the way back to Cape Caem. Pretty sure one of the royal arms would be a good enough oar in a pinch.” he chuckled his voice lacking the humor of before and, running a shaky hand through his hair. 

Prompto had started to laugh with him, but his laughs got a little shaky near the end when he started mentioning things that he didn’t really want to think about. He was tipsy, and he wanted to laugh at the other boy’s jokes but for a moment the harsh reality hit him that they were supposed to be accomplishing something really huge right now. They should be in bed and mentally preparing for the hardships of tomorrow and instead they were stranded in a boat with copious amounts of wine. And it was probably his fault. 

The gunner was always the one holding his best friend back. Holding them all back.

“This is the last night we can do something like this together; just be us. I’m gonna miss it.” Prompto let out a heavy sigh, not meaning to speak the thoughts swirling in his head.

He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck nervously for a moment, the idea of going back to Cape Caem, or floating along this river for a day or two sounded much better than what he would have to face tomorrow. He remembered the display of Luna’s dress in his head; stunning and breathtaking. Noctis was going to get married. Noctis was going to be a king. And well he.. He would still just be plain old Prompto. It was a joke to think that his true feelings would ever be validated. 

Bitterly, he pushed the bottle of wine up to his lips, tilting it back and taking a long swig. It was a deep, rich, fine wine and it was easy to continue drinking without realizing just how much he had. 

Noctis got sullen for a moment, taking a long drink of his own wine. It was expensive, full bodied and probably meant to be savored but here he was tipping it back like the cheap beer Gladio favored so much. The words Prompto spoke rang far too true and broke through his buzz. “Y-yeah…” His unfocused gaze grew distant.

Another long drink and he cut the heavy air with a long sigh to match the blonde's.

The came a pause to the thoughts that ran rampant in his jumbled brain. The prince's face set in determination. No. he wasn’t going to let it be like that. So what if he was going to be, officially, king soon? 

“Pssh whatever. This is just like the first night in a lot of other awesome nights. You’re not going to just like disappear right?” His stomach twisted at the thought. He had flashbacks to his school days. Lonely, everyone either too afraid to be friends with him or too eager ,with ulterior motives shining in their eyes, to be friends. Prompto was practically his savior. 

Sure it was dramatic, but it was true. Ignis and Gladio were his friends but there was always that weight of duty that hung between them. That weight was never there when he looked at Prompto. There was a pang of sadness in his chest when he thought of his dear friend leaving his side for any reason.

Tears almost welled up in the blonde’s eyes, but he breathed out and pushed them back like he had so many times before on their journey. He had to be strong for himself, and for the boy in front of him. The last thing he wanted was to be a mess in front of his best friend when he needed him to be by his side, to be strong and resolute. 

It was the hardest when he was talking about him disappearing. It was a possibility, even though it might be a little more gruesome than that. 

No one knew who, or what, he really was. In fact, the blonde wasn’t even entirely 100% sure of that. He knew the gist of it though, and it wasn’t something that he could just blurt out into the open. Much like his feelings for the other boy. 'I'm pretty sure I'm from Niflheim! Oh and I might, maybe, be kind of in love with you.'

Prompto fidgeted with his wristband for a moment, looking down at the boy who was relaxing in front of him. How easy would it be to just give in and fall on top of him and confess everything? Almost too easy. Just say to hell with what he SHOULD do. He shifted his legs for a moment, hesitant on whether or not to just do it. What little resolve he had left told him to stay put and he fidgeted right back to where he had started. 

“I know you’re probably gonna get real popular with the ladies, especially with all those photos you took." A deep voice broke the silence, his lower lip quivered, Noctis tried to tell himself it was the cold even if he was burning up and his coat was discarded somewhere back on that dock, "but you’re not allowed to bail on me. I’ll hunt you down for...I don’t know. Treason or something.” 

Prompto had wanted to tell him that he could never leave him. That he would be by his side no matter what happened or who he became. But then the other started to crack jokes again and he couldn’t help but smile and keep his thoughts to himself. 

Noctis smiled a bit sadly, nudging Prompto with his knee. “I couldn’t have done this without you, you know. All of this." His arms swept about him in a dramatic gesture.

"You’re the best Prom.” the prince added, maybe leaning forward a bit more than he should have.

Taking a drink, Prompto looked around at the open water, not noticing the way his friend leaned toward him. “Definitely the best person to steal a gondola with...even if we’re kind of stranded."��"And, If you get hungry, there’s always fish.” Prom practically snorted again.

He continued to chuckle at the thought of being popular with ladies. Sure, he had talked about Cindy enough, and even Aranea and it wasn’t a lie that they were both attractive, wonderful ladies. It was just that his heart had always belonged to the boy in front of him, ever since high school. It was easy to fawn over pretty women so that no one would suspect anything. 

It wasn’t as if he was lying. If he wasn’t already in love, he would probably think even higher of those women. The honest truth was it was also an easy distraction from his real feelings. 

“Women? Me?” Prompto laughed a little before sort of rolling his eyes without thinking about it. “I mean, who doesn’t love a pretty girl, right?” He laughed again, trying to joke and deflect his own feelings. 

“But it’s not like I really want or need that.” He said a little more quietly, hoping that his friend didn’t hear that part. He looked down at the bottle, his thumb rubbing over the rim. Lost in his thoughts, he totally hadn't realized how much of it was already gone.

Noct was definitely shitfaced, there was no dancing around that fact. Being drunk didn't make him deaf and there was something about being laid up to heal, having a weak body, that at least made his senses better than normal. 

Prompto didn’t really want or need it? “What’re you talking about? You fawn over Cindy all the time! You even had me go to take that silly photo." Noct made a face, "I even saved your tail.” he laughed but the deep blue eyes rolled in annoyance.

Thinking back, he’d been really annoyed at Prompto for waking him up early just to go take a stupid picture of Cindy at Hammerhead. It annoyed him even more when the boy stumbled over himself and even THANKED him when he was stupid enough to work it out so he could get a picture WITH her instead. 

He liked Cindy well enough, he’d seen the way Gladio eyed her sometimes, the way most guys did….and maybe he was being a possessive friend in the end. Maybe he was just afraid to lose Prompto to some girl but it bothered him a whole lot more than it should have when he talked about her like some lovesick puppy. 

Prompto visibly winced a little when Noctis also brought up Cindy and the way that he had fawned over her. He liked her , that was for sure, but he wasn’t in love with her, and that’s where the difference lied. 

Part of him thought that, after all of this was over and his friend was married and the kingdom was restored and peace reigned down blah blah blah; he would have to settle down with a nice woman eventually. He couldn’t continue to pine over his best friend when he was happily married and ruling over the entire kingdom! That wasn't healthy…and frankly it would be a little creepy.

Prompto was about to try and explain himself when the other boy sat up, stared him directly in the eyes and flat out asked him if he was the only one for him. It knocked the wind right out of his damn chest.

“So what? Did you decide I’m the only one for you? I’m just going to assume it’s me because if it’s Gladio, c’mon man you’ve got some bad taste and I’ll be disappointed in you.” It was just a dig, only partly, but he chuckled a little more awkwardly than humored. 

Of course Noctis was! How stupid could he be? Okay maybe that wasn't fair but he was sure even the man the other had mentioned had picked up on how he felt. There was no one in all of Eos that meant this much to him! How could he not see that?! 

“I…” He started to say, looking down at his own hands. 

Noctis was about to say something as he rose to his feet, taking his usual bowed back stance in order to relieve some pressure off of his leg. It was that moment when, in his drunken stupor, he leaned back too far and lost his footing. If his head hadn’t already been spinning and the prince had been able to recognize when he was falling backwards, he might have done something to balance himself.

The would-be king wasn’t exactly a clumsy guy, but a bit too much alcohol and the unsteady sway of the boat didn’t do much for his intoxicated equilibrium. He was, most definitely, going to be more than a little embarrassed in the morning when he remembered the awful expression he made and how he hit the water like a rock, not even flailing in the moments before impact. Noctis didn’t have a chance to react, his brain not even caught up with what was happening until he hit sobering cold water, gulping down a mouth full of Altissian canal.

Prompto shouldn't have had a second thought to dive in after him but his alcohol addled brain made him pause for a minute. He slowly registered the look of horror that was plastered on the prince’s face as he swiveled backwards and fell directly off the boat. A few more moments passed, and Noctis wasn't emerging from the water. Suddenly his body kicked into overdrive, overriding his brain. He didn't have to think about what to do next and dove in.


	2. Seven Thousand Words Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 7 thousand words and a rubber ducky later; these two make some progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD I'm so sorry for how long this took to actually update! The first chapter was just a bit of swapping positions of some things with maybe a few things added to it BUT I worried it didn't flow quite right and decided to just completely rewrite this part. Of course, by the time I finished writing all of this I was 300% too tired to pay attention when I reread it. Oh well. Yolo
> 
> O where art tho, illusive betas ;n; 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: My Italian roommate asked that I please ask everyone to NOT steal gondolas, as fun as it might seem. It is not fun. You will be fined and probs go to jail.

_There weren't many seconds between the moment his feet were planted firmly on the gondola and his whole world was tilting, spinning on itself as he fell backwards into the cold water of the canal. Limbs flailed about in the air, arms trying to grasp for purchase on the thick night air or anything that might save him from what came._

_For the briefest of seconds he considered warping. There was an attempt, though a reckless and sloppy one, to reach deep into the endless void of the armiger. Any other time he might have found the action to be second nature. All he had to do was concentrate on an item, focus on the shape and feel of it in his hand and then it would spring forth in ghostly particles of shattered crystal._

_Noctis found it hard to focus around the haze of intoxication; brain far too much mush from excesses of expensive wine to focus. Desperately he tried to imagine grasping the thick, heavy handle of his engine blade, to capture the image of it in his mind's eye. When spectral blue crystal shattered about his hand, barely a second before his back struck water, the prince realized his mind's eye was far too focused on bright blonde hair and indigo eyes to hope to get it right._

_The rubber duck he grasped in his hand, now bobbing along the surface of the dark water, did a much better job at floating than the Crown Prince as he sunk deeper into the canal's depths._

 

Whether it was shock or the alcohol, Prompto was stunned in place. He watched on as a look of horror plastered itself on the prince's pale features and he swiveled backwards, falling directly off the boat. The gunner's eyes grew wide like saucers, but his body stayed motionless, his brain unable to completely catch up with the events that were happening before him.

Cool water splashed up and over the side of the boat, darkening the gold embroidered pillows and spraying the blonde's pants. The sound of a loud, wet slap invaded his eardrums. Still, he was frozen in place, eyes unfocused as they stared out at the spot his  best friend had been moments before.

The moment it took for his brain to catch up could have been an eternity. Indigo eyes gazing out over the face of the water til it grew still and beneath the dark surface , just barely lit by the small lamp that hung at one side of the vessel, the submerged prince sunk like a weighted pebble. Both found themselves struggling to catch up to exactly what had happened, to the position they were in.

Perhaps a part of Prompto had also expected to find dark hair springing forth from the water, gasping for air with a stunned face that matched his own. Noctis could swim well enough, even he knew this. As the surface grew still and the drops of water that misted his jeans seeped deeper into the fabric where it damped pale skin, the blonde realized that it was more than just mere shock. Noct wasn't coming back up.

Sluggish, alcohol influenced brain or not, as soon as that realization hit he was ready to act. Prompto didn't think, didn't question he just dove right in.

The water was cold in contrast to the heat of his body from the wine. If he weren't frantic, bright eyes opening under the dark water, he might have found himself clawing back up into the gondola. At that moment, however, he was far to focused on seeing in the depths of the canal.

When indigo eyes landed on the pitch black of Noctis' clothes, and his figure sinking deeper, he found himself thanking the Six that his eyes had mostly adjusted to the darkness above the still waters. A surge of panic welled up in his throat as that thought passed.  The prince, his prince, wasn't moving, but those deep blue eyes were wide open, staring blankly ahead. It was only the fact that those eyes slowly searched, meeting indigo orbs as pale arms wrapped about the prince's waist, that Prompto felt a rush of relief.

His legs and arms were heavy from drink, even with the sobering chill of the water. It cut him to the bone but where Noctis' body pressed close to his, felt like fire. It gave him the energy to push through the thick waters towards the faint light and the dark shape of the gondola overhead.

It was thanks to that heat, the strong arm of his best friend, that Noctis  finally registered exactly what was happening. He had a moment where he struggled, fighting against the weight of the waters around him and the canal water that threatened to invade his lungs. The strong grip of that arm around his waist was the only thing that kept him anchored, secure. It urged his thrashing to stop and, as oppressive as the lack of air was, he put his limbs to much better use. His water filled boots kicked, pushing them forward, and one of his arms made up for Prompto's that held him tightly about his middle.

When the boys breached the surface, they both gasped in tandem catching lost breathes in the cool night air. Indigo eyes tossed a look to the young man he still held close to himself, watching as the dazed prince coughed up bitter canal water.

"If you wanted to take a swim, you shoulda told me sooner, buddy!" He joked, gasping out before taking another much needed breath of air. Prompto's hand clutched to the side of the gondola with one hand, his other still slung about the thin waist of his best friend.

For Noctis, the cold and bitter waters were beyond sobering and it made not thinking about what was in those waters all the more difficult. Now that he was a great deal more sober than before, it made the chill that had started to settle into his bones all the more apparent. His trembling hands gripped at the side of the boat, dark strands of hair falling wet and heavy into his face.

"Don't scare me like that…." Came the broken, yet more serious voice of his best friend who still held him close.

There was a comfort in how close they were, bodies still half submerged in cold waters and their hair clinging to the sides of their faces. The security that arm that circled his waist gave him was hard to ignore. It made something else bubble up in his chest and grip at his throat as he tried to speak.

He forced a laugh through the chokehold the emotions had on him and gave a shaky smile.  "Ah, you know me. I'm the king of spontaneity. Just had to get my feet wet if you weren't gonna let me fish."

The prince's voice was rough, hoarse from coughing up the offensive waters, as he spoke and yet it was still full of humor. His cheeks, however, told another story as the flushed at the heat that had rushed to his face. At first it had been from some sort of subconscious embarrassment that he most definitely should have been feeling then.

It was the same kind of embarrassment he would be feeling come morning when the two boys found themselves shuffling their way back to their hotel room. Clothing still damp, hair disheveled and darkening circles beneath their eyes as Ignis would find them and hold them with a disapproving gaze and a mildly amused Gladio not far behind. Then, he'd definitely want to die and he'd almost pray that the Hydraen would rise up from the waters of Altissia and put him out of his misery.

Now, he just looked on at his best friend and his embarrassment changed to something deeper, more abstract. Noctis couldn't put his finger on what it exactly it was as brilliant indigo stared back at him. Had he ever noticed how beautiful they were filled with worry and that emotion he couldn't quite put a finger on? They were breathtaking, if he could say that about another guys' eyes. Were they blue? Or purple? It was so damn hard to tell and somehow it made them so much more appealing to just keep staring at.

Of course, even with the mix of alcohol, adrenaline and that abstract emotion he couldn't deny he stared for what felt like too long. Deep blue eyes broke the gaze he held with the other young man as heat creeped up into his cheeks anew and he cleared his throat.

Prompto, however, didn't notice that gaze even if it stretched so much longer than it should have. For him, his mind was consumed with the press of their chests together and the way they were close enough for him to feel the other's breath ghosting over his skin. He was close enough to see the flecks of grey in the deep blue eyes and that beauty mark that often remained hidden by dark hair. If tomorrow was going to be the last day he could do this, perhaps it was the best time to catalogue all the smallest features of the other's handsome face. Noctis really hadn't changed much in the years since they met.

He should have been chilled to the bone half submerged in the cold water, but his face burned at the realization of just how close they were and just how intently Noctis had been staring into his eyes. If Prompto had been sober, had been completely in control of his impulses, he would have looked away. The blonde would have tugged his arm away and climbed back into the boat before he could let his mask fall away.

Noctis didn't move, frozen in place as slender fingers brushed wet strands out of his face, tucking it behind an ear. There was an indescribable flutter in his chest and his heart leapt in his throat. It was as if it had a mind to jump free of the prince's throat to put itself on display before the other young man.  

If it weren't for the actions that followed, he might have tried to deny the tenderness of that touch and how it made his cool skin tingle and warm. Noct tried to smile, readying another quip to toss his friend's way but he was cut off by the warm press of lips against his own, a sharp nose ever so slightly bumping against his own in the process.

There was a moment of the young prince being too stunned, be from alcohol or shock,  to register what exactly was happening. There was a hand warm against his cheek and he felt a dull throb in his nose and yet he was still frozen. It was when the water shifted around him and a feeling started to swell in his chest that he found himself able to truly process what was happening.

Noctis wasn't repulsed, not at all, but deep blue eyes were blown wide with shock. Of course the real shock didn't come from something so basic as being kissed by another man. No, the real shock was just WHO that man was to him. His best friend was drunkenly kissing him right there in the waters of Altissia's canal. The more shocking matter, however, was that he didn't feel the need or want to pull away.

Breaking through the suppressed anxiousness of the morrow, there was something there that he couldn't quite put his finger on and it grew within him until he could barely breathe. It was sobering, more so sobering than that cold water had been. Their lips pressed flushed together, slender fingertips brushing at the damp strands along side his face. Noctis found himself falling into the comfort of it, the security of that warmth it sent to his cheeks and to his belly.

For Prompto, as their lips touched, everything felt so real and so perfect. It was a clarity amidst the blur of this crazy, drunken night. Nothing in the world could have felt so perfect, made him feel so complete as his lips pressed flush to his own. It could have stretched out into an eternity, scared away the morning that was, inevitably, going to come. His heart soared when, for the briefest of seconds, he felt his dearest friend relax against him and press into the kiss.

Joy clawed at his chest and a pleased sound stirred just there, threatening to bubble up and out his throat. Prompto dared not think too deeply about what was happening. He dared not think about just what he'd done that, for once, this was not in his dreams. This wasn't a fantasy so carefully crafted in order to keep his emotions and feelings from breaking him down.

Instead he let his nerves settle for once, the cold water becoming a security blanket that alleviated his worries, easing him into a sense of unfamiliar stability. Being close to Noctis had always left him with an undefinable sense of being and purpose but this was different. It was as if all those worries, insecurities, and fears just slipped away and into the depths of the canal below them.

Then it all came to a screeching halt, and in an instant Prompto was brought to a very grim reality. Noctis was pulling away from him, staring into his eyes full of infinite questions and riddled with confusion. Ironically, that look was like a splash of cold water and the blonde was intensely away of everything in that moment. There was the light throb in his nose, the chilling feel of the water that still engulfed their lower halves and the warmth and comfort of Noctis' where their arms touched was now like electricity causing him to jerk his arm away. It felt as if the world were crashing down around him and that swell in his chest became an oppressive pressure that seemed content to crush him til he couldn't breathe.

"...Shit." Was the only thing he could muster to breath. Even if the Prince were right there, he suddenly felt so alone, naked and afraid. Prompto cursed that they were out in the middle of nowhere because he wanted nothing more than to run so far away. It felt as if he had pushed away the one person who had never made him feel like that.

Maybe it wasn't too late, he considered for a moment.  They were drunk, after all, it was a spontaneous thing to do. It would be so very easy to just play it off like a drunken joke and push it aside as he'd done with his feelings all these years. For some reason, however, he just couldn't do that this time.  He would curse himself later for being selfish but he just couldn't manage it when just this small moment with the other boy had truly been all he'd wanted. It was all he'd needed for so long and he'd meant every second deep in his soul. It felt like it would be more than just lying to himself…

"F-forget that happened." Prompto found himself muttering, looking back to the boat to break the gaze of those piercing blue eyes. He didn't want to lie to himself but he wasn't sure he was ready to say what needed to be said, not when he looked into the other's eyes.

"We should probably get back in the gondola", a shaky chuckle passed pale pink lips, " yknow, before we freeze to death, huh?"

Deep blue eyes stared back at him, narrowing in frustration. Forget that it happened? Shiva's tits how in the seven hells was Noctis supposed to forget THAT had happened? Pathetically enough it had been the bungling prince's first kiss, having always been far too busy and far too concerned with his duties and expectations to even consider kissing anyone.

Noct's stomach was still doing flips from that very kiss he was told to 'forget', and his chest still felt weighted. There was a dampness on his lips from the way their lips had pressed together and when he pulled his lower lip into his mouth to worry it between sharp teeth, he could taste the other there. The taste of Prompto's chapstick mingled with the bitter berries of the wine. When he took a sharp breath, chest stuttering uneasily, Noctis knew. There was no way he could just FORGET that it happened.

A white hot anger started to boil up in him, filling him to the brim and making the chill of the water forgotten. How could Prompto just suggest he forget that? It wasn't something casual, it wasn't something you did as a joke and gods thinking that it might have been just a joke made that frustration bubble more violently in his belly. Still, there was something in the way that Prompto refused to meet his eyes, in the way that he looked as if his heart was trapped in his throat that let the prince know that it wasn't a joke. It meant something.

Why? That question kept running through his mind, breaking through the anger and frustration. Why had it meant something to Prompto and, gods be damned, why did it feel like it had meant something to him? There was an anxiousness that mingled with frustration and confusion at that thought and he did everything he could to push it down.

Hoping to calm himself, he heaved himself back into the gondola. It was an ungraceful motion, but he was too distracted to care as he tumbled with a wet smack back into the once dry boat on top of now soaked pillows.  Blue eyes cast to the side at first, almost afraid of what he would say if he met the pained indigo orbs below him, but he reached out a hand regardless.

It didn't go unnoticed by Prompto just how angry his friend looked as he held him in a steely gaze. Gods he knew he shouldn't have taken that last long gulp of wine, or gotten that close to Noctis. He definitely shouldn't have let his thoughts run wild. He really shouldn't have.

Looking up at him, the blonde took that extended hand, letting it pull him back into the boat. His climb was much more graceful and eloquent than Noctis, as eloquent as one could be on a rocking gondola, anyway. Noct's ever present gaze on him was almost menacing and he wasn't sure if he should have even taken that hand to begin with or not. The only other times noct had looked at him like that, it was definitely not for a good reason.

His heart was dancing a drunk dance in his chest and Prompto was surprised that Noct hadn't slapped his hand out of the way or pushed him back into the water. When the prince was mad you really didn't want to double cross him. It usually took something big, of course, for Noct to be THAT mad and doubly so for him to be that mad at HIM. The thought of it made him wince when he'd first grasped Noct's hand but, when all he'd done was pull him calmly into the gondola, Prom most certainly let out an audible sigh of relief.

The relief was chased away once he met that cold gaze again, however. This was the end of their journey together; there was no telling how much he would even see the other young man and he'd done something so typical of himself. He'd gone and ruined their last night together like a fool. Now, they wouldn't have that warm and happy memory of the fun gondola ride or the excess of wine. He was sure Noct would find the act a betrayal of his trust and their friendship, and nothing killed him more inside than that thought. Hopefully, he could make it right before it was too late and that look was all he could hope for the remainder of their journey.

"Listen," Prompto started, sitting in the middle of the boat in front of the other, fearing if he stood much longer he would topple back out much as his prince had, "I'm sorry….I didn't mean to…" 

Explaining what he'd done, what he felt was harder than he thought when he kept meeting that cold stare. It tore him up inside, ripping his fragile heart to ribbons. "I mean…I totally meant to, but."

Prompto bit down on his own lip, worrying it until it was red and angry. The emotion that welled up in his chest stung at the corners of his eyes and gripped his voice in a vice. Those long, slender fingers quickly moved to cover red stained freckled cheeks, shoulder shaking as he fought back against the rising panic. He just couldn't face him, at least not right then. It took all he could to slightly spread those fingers and peak between them to see if his friend still staring him down.

The look of distress and panic that danced in the other's eyes before he hid them behind his hands almost made Noctis feel bad for causing the other to look so distraught. Almost. A small part of him, a more petty and bitter part of him, still felt anger at the fact the other had expected it would be so easy for him to just forget. Did anyone ever forget their first kiss? Did one ever forget that their best friend had practically clung to them when they took their first kiss?

Maybe some had found the secret to forgetting but he didn't want to. Astrals, he wanted to scold his friend for even suggesting it and in a show of frustrating he flopped back down in his seat. The now soaked pillow gave a comedic squelch beneath him.

He didn't respond to his friend at first and his gaze broke away within moments of seeing those brilliant eyes peek through his fingers. Letting his mind wander, the frustration he felt cooled to a simmer when a very specific memory crossed his mind. It was something that, perhaps, he should have thought of before. Prompto atop that rest stop motel, looking out at the night sky. He told Noctis things he knew, how Prompto was shy and insecure thought it might have been hard to tell. Then the worries Noct never knew; about not being good enough, not measuring up and perhaps a fear that had been left unsaid about being afraid of not being wanted.

His temper cooled, shame biting at his conscience, before he looked back up at his friend who sat across from him. His gaze was marred with something akin to guilt and the prince couldn't help but mentally berate himself. Of course Prompto would ask that he forget it. He was scared, worried and insecure. Noct didn't dare speculate about what, not yet, instead he just sighed out before dropping that apologetic gaze.

"I know you're doing that thing where you're wanting to run away. You're second guessing yourself and shit talking yourself in your head." The prince tried to frown, the scowl looking almost comical with how hard it was to feel his face right then. Maybe it was a lot colder than he realized….

"Stop it." he continued, reaching out to pull one of the other's hands from his face. "That's an order from your king." The chill of that hand he held in his own softened him. It was like ice and he couldn't stop himself from using a gentle heat to warm it in his grasp.

As warmth spread through his frozen hand, not at all like the fire he'd been burned by both literally and figuratively from that prince, he found it hard to place any singular thought. His man ran franticly, full of ideas that all wanted front seat and reign over his emotions. Still, even without thinking about it Prompto knew Noctis was right but he just couldn't help feeling all those things.

Even with his mind a completely mess, it didn't change that Noctis would be meeting Luna tomorrow and after everything was all said and done, they would be getting married for Shiva's sake! Sure Noct hadn't agreed wholeheartedly but he couldn't remember a single time he'd truly sat before friends and family that expected or wanted something of him and he hadn't done just as he was expected. What good was really telling the other his feelings NOW??

He'd felt like this for YEARS. Prompto had dealt with secretly shooting his unknowing friend looks of longing, giving into each brush of their hands or shoulders a bit too easily. Maybe Noctis didn't want him hiding anything from him, but at the same time wouldn't it just be burdening the prince further? Would he be angry or would he feel some sense of duty to him, too? Gods be damned Noct was even worse than him about ACTUALLY talking about his feelings and what he wanted, after all.

In the end, what he was here for was to be Noct's friend, a good friend, and help keep him level headed. It wasn't his job to burden the prince further with even more things he didn't need to think about. Noct had enough, after all, with all that had happened with insomnia, with what would happen with Luna and the fight they had ahead of them to reclaim their home. If he just kept these feelings to himself, everything would work out in the end.

It took everything he had to steel himself and Prom was so close to protesting, telling the other boy just what he'd been thinking, that it would be okay. He didn't have to worry about him so much, even if he was looking down on himself. That this time it was only because he wanted to consider the other's feelings above his own, he didn't want to be selfish and that was what matter the most to him. NOCTIS mattered the most to him.

All of that was shot down the minute he looked back up into deep blue eyes. They drew him in, threatened to swallow his every being if he stared too long and gods did he want to get lost there. That gentle swipe of a thumb against the skin on the back of his hand, however, was what truly did him in. The warmth resonated through him like a beacon all guiding him into those deep blue pools, urging him to become lost in the boy before him. The gentle expression the other held stole his breath and broke down his already fragile wall of resolution. In an instant, much like that wall, he crumbled.

"Shit, Noct. I could've hid it forever. I could've…" his words were shaky and he found himself pursing his lips and looking down.  He should have been able to hide it forever, for both their sakes.

The prince didn't understand, not right away. He continued staring at Prompto with equal parts concern and confusion. Hid it forever? Hid what? He pondered those words and the tremble in Prompto's voice. Then everything _finally_ slid into place. Oh. _OH._

That familiar pressure was back on his chest once again, squeezing him tight as if Titan himself was gripping him though the Astral was nowhere to be seen. That pressure caused his heart to thunder, his every nerve on end as it rushed him to put scattered thoughts together quickly, like the ground was going to consume him if he didn't sort them, and soon. That familiar twist in his belly was back and he fought so desperately to put words to what it was he felt rising like the heat to his cheeks.

Noct hadn't hated that kiss, that was definitely NOT how it felt to hate a kiss…even if he didn't exactly have much to compare it to. Spending his time studying to be king or around, well the guys, it didn't leave him much opportunity. Maybe it should have, if he'd just paid even the slightest bit of attention.

The moments drew on and silence grew between them. For one it was oppressive and for another it was a time for contemplation. Noct found his thoughts running rampant with questions but more than not, memories. The realization brought so many other moments forward in crystal clear clarity for the first time in years. All those moments Prompto had gotten awkward when Noctis talked about marrying Luna, even times in high school when he'd talked about girls having an interest in him. He especially seemed to lay on his crush for Cindy rather thick the entire road trip and more so when others, like Iris, would take an interest in him.

Then there was how Prompto never avoided contact, no matter how close. Gladio would complain if his leg touched his in the crowded tent but gods he could wake up curled around Prompto like an octopus and the blonde would just laugh it off. Then…there were times like today when the group would talk about something, like at Luna's memorial, and Prompto got oddly silent and distant.

The more he thought about Prompto, the more it made him remember the version of himself before that kiss in the canal. Hadn't he also always sought the blonde out? Noctis had almost been frantic thinking about a time when his best friend wouldn't be able to be by his side. He'd urged him and encouraged him to be a part of the Crownsguard. Noctis remembered thinking, even before this moment, that he'd NEEDED Prompto on this trip with him. Prompto was, and always had been, his sanctuary. The blonde was the one person he could be Noctis the person around instead of Noctis the future king. The realization caused an invisible hand to grip at his heart, squeezing it until he released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Even tonight, the night he thought would be the last he spent on this trip with Prom, he'd wanted to spend it was him. That hand twisted it's grip on his heart, his mind drifting but seconds before to the thought of what this all would have been like if his friend hadn't been there, or if he chose to leave. Astrals, he really was an idiot prince.

His gaze fell for a moment, that pressure in his chest not letting up even with the presence of those bright, shining eyes out of his vision. It was in that moment Noctis decided to stop thinking, stop analyzing and fighting whatever it was that grip around his heart might mean. Instead, the prince let his body and, gods be damned, his heart guide him. The grip on Prompto's hand tightened and in one swift motion Noctis pulled him forward, causing the blonde to spill out over his chest and pressed their lips together one more time.

This kiss was even less graceful than the last, noses bumping and teeth clashing as lips crashed together. Their damp chests bumped together hard, taking the wind out of the blonde, and Noctis was certain he'd taken a knee to somewhere unpleasant that was sure to bruise by morning. Still, limbs haphazardly tangled together with the blonde gunner draped over his chest and those experimental presses of chapped lips against the soft, smooth folds of the other's was more than worth it.

It took only that instant to jerk Prompto from his thoughts. He was shocked, and yet mesmerized. The way Noct had pulled him forward had been no real surprise. The memory of the last time Noctis had done this was still clear in his mind even if it had been in their high school days. The real surprise was in how their lips locked together, warm and satisfying. Later when they had many more kisses in which to compare this one to, it would hardly rank on the top 10 of skill, but gods in those moment it was like a drink of water after years wandering in a desert. Prompto couldn't stifle the automatic noise of approval and satisfaction as slender fingers coiled tightly against the damp fabric of Noctis' shirt.

Astrals, Prom knew he should have been protesting instead of darting his tongue over the prince's soft lips. He should have pushed him away, asked Noctis what the hell he was thinking. What about Luna? What about the fate of his country? Sure all of those things wouldn't fall to ruin with a kiss but HE would fall to ruin if this would end up nothing more than drunken experimentation by a prince to eager to run from his problems.

The tentative tongue that ghosted out to meet his own dashed all of those thoughts aside and back to the depth of the canal. All he could think was how overwhelmed his senses were with the other boy, his smell his touch the brush of hands into his hair. What was a gentle kiss was quickly becoming more heated and the blonde, sunshine boy could do nothing but press himself harder into the comfort of Noctis' chest as if it would keep his wildly thumping heart from bursting from his chest.

Noctis never regretted his prior lack of interest in romance more than he did in that moment. There truly was nothing more rousing than the sound that rumbled in the gunners chest, slipping between soft pink lips as the lithe body pressed into his own. All these years he could have been spending every moment becoming more and more intoxicated by the blonde's lips, that grip of those fingers in his shirt. It warmed him in  a way wine never had.

His only thoughts of romance before had been nothing like this. At one time he remembered trying to imagine Luna as more than a maternal figure, more than a sister. His cock had been heavy in his hand and it had felt so deeply wrong he quickly gone to dose himself in icy water. What he felt right now? Gods it felt so right and proved, more than anything, that his feelings for Luna would never be anything more. What he felt, pressed tightly against Prompto, lips melded so closely you may forget they were separate beings, most definitely was not how he could or ever would feel about the oracle.

The realization sent his head spinning, even more than that kiss that only seemed to grow more passionate. Their tongues tangled, first Noctis delved into the other's mouth, brushing his tongue over the other's teeth and along the roof of his mouth. When Prompto tried to do the same, the prince let out a pleased little groan, an arm wrapping around the blonde's waist.

Gods he didn't want to be anywhere else, neither of them did.  Noctis' heart fluttered as if a baby bird were trapped within his ribcage and he felt almost lighter than air. For once, there was no worry about the responsibilities of being crown prince.

Waxing poetically aside, Noct was certain his own inexperience was kicking his ass. It was hard to tell with the sounds Prompto made, but seeing people kiss in movies and reading about it was a whole other beast to actually kissing another human being. At least he'd only awkwardly bumped Prompto's nose a bit when he'd had to adjust.

'Breathe through your nose you idiot', he had to scold himself as he parted their fervent, needy lips to take a breathe.  One hand stroked through pale blonde strands as his tongue traced over soft lips, tasting that flavor of bitter wine and chapstick he was quickly growing accustom to…and there was something else. Something vaguely citrus?

Following the prince's lead, Prompto fumbled along for a while right along with him, but when the other boy inhaled deeply before tracing his tongue into the blonde's mouth? It was like an undying fire had been ignited inside of him. His right hand brushed up along the prince's chest to the base of his neck where shaky fingers ran into the small tufts of blue-ish hair.

As new as this was, it was something he'd thought about hundreds of times when they were laying side by side in that too small tent or just a little too close while messing around and horse playing. It was exhilarating to think that one of his many fantasies were actually happened.

Freckled cheeks burned a bright red, as did the prince below him. Their emotions were mirrored as adrenaline and heat stirred up inside of both of them and mixed into a cocktail of happiness that they found themselves struggling to keep off of their faces.

"So…When I'm king, I think I want this to be how you show me your respects from now on." Noct teased, smiling up at his best friend almost smugly before brushing the tips of his fingers along those flushed cheeks to tuck blonde strands behind  an ear. He was…different in that moment. Marrying Luna was so far from his mind, so drastically far away that he wasn't even sure if someone could pull him back to it once he was entirely sober again.

Caring about the blonde that lay across his chest was nothing new, it was something he'd realized ages ago. He cared deeply for him, worried for him just like he had Ignis and Gladio. Realizing that those feelings went so much farther, were so deeply-rooted than just friendship, was something else entirely. Noct almost felt shame; he should have known before a few bottles of wine, a stolen gondola, and a dip in the canal.

Noct wasn't sure how to say it or describe it to the blonde beneath him but  his nerves were on edge and he craved the feel of him close and yet, somehow, underneath it all he was scared of being rejected. That was liking someone, even if the gunner had all but said he'd liked him. All those nerves bundled with the rush of adrenaline that kept pushing him forward….Damn it he really should have realized months ago. He could have been stealing kisses under covers and touching that surprisingly soft skin this whole time…

That, or he could have been admiring the way Prompto's eyes were both blue and yet purple but neither. What they were, however, was brilliant and gave away every thought and emotion his best friend had. They were beautiful and he was a fool for not realizing that sooner. Now that was the real crime of king and country, never noticing how beautiful those eyes were and the words that lay behind them, unspoken.

Noct couldn't help his drunken, distracted sigh as he gazed deeply into them. "You're beautiful, Prom…."

The worlds just rolled off the other's lips and there was that look again, that calm look that almost felt like adoration. Prompto had never seen Noctis look at him like that, save for moments before when he was pulled free of the water. If his cheeks weren't already burning up to his ears from alcohol and the equally intoxicating heat they'd shared, then he would have flushed. Of all the things for Noctis to say!

pink lips quivered, indigo orbs darting back to meet deep blue, unsure of what to say. To say he was shocked would have been understatement. Holding back feelings like this for so long, never sure what it would even be if he just let them spill out; just thinking about it always made him want to run far away. Even now he fought the urge to hide his face in embarrassment, face and ears burning.

His hands rest against the prince's chest, one feeling the rhythmic thump of the other's heart beneath his hand. Everything felt so far away and, to Prompto, it felt as if they had fallen into that water and found themselves deposited in some far away land where this twilight sited in some far away land where this would never end, he would never have need to move from the comfort of that thumping heart against his hand, and tomorrow's responsibilities were a distant memory.

What would happen now? How could this one moment be meant to last like the other boy had implied? Those were questions for when the sun would rise.

Without thinking, he leaned his forehead against his best friend's, hands gripping to him tighter as if letting go mean his prince would disappear. He feared this moment would fade away right along with his prince and he'd find himself dozing in a dyer gondola with Noctis off to one end fishing off the side. He didn't want it to slip away, to slide through his fingers like sand. Prompto wanted to cling to it with every fiber of his being.

"I love you Noct…." he whispered, his voice just barely audible between them. He'd finally said it. It had been 3 years and  he finally felt gratified.

Noctis was beyond shock and surprise at this point, completely numb to it. Instead shock turned to smiles and compassion and, really, when he thought back to how they'd been since they were young teenagers?

"I know." came the words before he could even consider them, his voice soft and a hand cupped the other's cheek.

Both of them knew Noctis couldn't return those words, not right now. If he'd tried, they would be hollow and impulsive. Prompto had months, years to think about his feelings before they finally came spilling out. Noctis had only these moment to think, to truly grasp what he'd felt for his best friend.

Was it love? Noct couldn't say, not really.  There was an overwhelming feeling to never let the other go, to not lose him and gods he wanted to stay as they were for him and gods he wanted to stay as they were long as they were allowed; whatever that meant deep down.

Instead of answering, gentle lips kissed under the fluttering of thick lashes that brushed the tops of Prompto's cheeks, over the fine dusting of freckles and back down to those quivering lips. The kiss this time was softer, more practiced. It  was brief, and yet it made Prompto's heart feel full. There was understanding, and affection he'd never expected to find there. This was all just a first step, he knew that. They didn't need to talk about it, not right now, and not with what was coming with the dawn.

If he allowed himself, Prompto knew he'd question what would come after the soft touch of his cheek and the way slender fingers kneaded into the small of his back. So easily the blonde could spiral into doubt and it wasn't what either of the young men needed. What he chose was to take comfort in the fact that each touch, each brush of their lips was sweet and full of promise and not all heat and distractions. That was enough. That, and he'd finally managed to say words he'd kept locked away for so long.

For the soon to be king of Lucis, there was so much more that he wanted to say, thinking to leave him with more than the two word response. Prompto was warm against his chest, even through the chill that settled back in his bones from the night breeze. It was a comfortable warmth, not at all like the warmth he felt when Gladio slept a little too close when they camped in that unbearably small tent. This was pleasant, welcome.

The Shutterbug felt lighter than he remembered, as well, from all the times he'd caught him in the midst of battle or hoisted him up. Indigo eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark that engulfed them in it's comforting embrace. Words were lost in those eyes, plucked from his chest and cast adrift on the silent waters. It was better that way, best to not cheapen this moment. Noct only hoped that his silence was understood and that all he felt was evident in the way he cradled the blonde to his chest and how he breathed his name like a sigh of relief.

Noct was content to simply hold him there, waiting in repose for the sun to rise. The moments that had started long and lingering seemed to grow shorter as the first crown of sunlight broke on the horizon.  It was then that his friend's voice cut through the silence, prefaced with a mirthful giggle.

"Seriously though, Noct, a rubber duck?" His happy little giggles reached a peak, sending a flush right to the Prince's ears.

Noctis' face twisted in embarrassed frustration, though strong arms still held him tight. "I'd like to see you do better in my shoes! I was drunk and falling overboard" His cheeks almost puffed out, offended by the look of amusement the blonde tossed him.

"Sure, sure. There's totally nothing weird about you pulling a rubber duck out of the armiger instead of literally anything else" Prompto grinned at him, sticking out that pink little tongue.

The prince's lips set into a thin line. "I'll seriously toss you out of this damn boat and see how you do." His threat was empty, arms not letting go of their hold on the lithe figure. The sound of mock fear his friend gave him and that brilliant smile sent a rush of relief- or was that contentment- through him.

In the end, things were different, sure….but maybe not really different at all.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rubber duck is random, I know. he has a story and maybe I'll tell it someday. -salutes the fallen ducky on his journey to the beyond-  
> If you're interested, you can follow me over on twitter @Icarus_Solaire for more fanfics and fanart in the future :D

**Author's Note:**

> Funnily enough, I found out it's a pretty common occurrence that drunk couples steal gondola's in Venice. THE MORE YOU KNOW!


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